Teachers in Qatar need licence to work

The Supreme Education Council (SEC), the regulatory body of schools in the country, has announced that those already working have eight months in which to register for a professional teaching licence.

Teachers have to apply before July 31 and present certified copies of their degrees, as well as certificates detailing their work experience to qualify, Qatari daily The Peninsula reported on Wednesday.

They will only be allowed to teach the subject for which they are qualified, a SEC official said.

“From the next academic year it is mandatory for all private school teachers to have a professional licence from SEC,” Fauzia Al Khater, the director of the department of private schools said. “The managements of all private schools have been informed of the licensing requirements for their teachers.”

Private schools in Qatar are facing a severe shortage of qualified and experienced teachers and are willing to offer a monthly salary of up to QR7,000 (Dh7,066) as a result. “The worth of suitably qualified teachers today is more than gold. They are in high demand,” she said.

Suggesting that the fees for private schools, as well as transport and other charges, could soon be fixed, Al Khater said: “We are preparing a draft resolution to the effect”.

No school is permitted to increase its fees without approval from SEC and the go-ahead is given only on certain grounds, like to cover the cost of building renovations or educational facilities or for hiring more teachers.

Should a school be allowed to raise its fees, no further increase would be permitted for the next three years, except in the ‘rarest of circumstances’,” Al Khater said. “Parents who have complaints about schools on the fee issue can contact SEC with their evidence.”

Al Khater said 70 per cent of the private schools in the country are currently complying with SEC’s rules and the remaining 30 per cent have been given until the end of the current academic year to regularise their situation.